Staining On Lamy Dialog 3 Piano White--Can It Be Removed, Etc.

August 23, 2019

Hi, everyone. I was just transferring my Lamy Dialog 3 Piano White from one storage case to another, and I noticed that the pen has got these stains running up and down the length of the body. These stains are a bit of a surprise to me since I've pretty much babied this thing and have used it sparingly. At this point, I'm thinking that the staining is something that happened while the pen was in storage in one of three Franklin-Christoph pen cases that I have and use.

Attached are two photos that show the staining. I tried to rub this off with some distilled water and a microfiber cloth with the hope that the staining was just on the surface. But no dice. It looks like the stain is set in there.

Questions and thoughts on this:

1. Has anybody experienced the same thing with the Lamy Dialog 3 Piano White getting easily marked or discolored or stained? If so, is there a way to get these marks off?

2. Has anybody ever experienced a discoloration or have anything happen to the surface of their pens because of being stored in a Franklin-Christoph pen case? I'm learning the hard way that I've been quite careless in how I've been storing my pens, as I was assuming pen cases to be good enough for medium to longer term storage.

Thank you for your help.

August 24, 2019

I had a similar issue with this same pen stored in an Aston leather case. I wasnt able to remove the stains.

Edited August 24, 2019 by MCN

August 24, 2019

Too bad it’s not urushi.

August 31, 2019

I'd really like to get an up-close look at the stained area under a stereomicroscope, say at about 40x to 60x, to try to understand exactly how it is incorporated -and how deeply- into the surface. It has the appearance of a dye-like material which has diffused into the matrix of the surface of the pen.

What is the material used to make that part of the pen? Please be as exact as possible.

One possibility is to obtain a scrap of that material, and then try to recreate the the stain. Then you could safely experiment with different means of removing the stain. A mild oxidizer, such as 3% to 6% aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution, applied perhaps in the presence of sunlight, comes to mind. But nothing whatsoever can be recommended without more information. Start with asking for help from the pen's maker.

After that, a friendly art conservator might have some suggestions at a local museum or university, but she or he would need the same details.

I am an expert in microscopy, a member of the Royal Microscopical Society among other professional organizations, and I am a university chemist, although my main area is biology. I would be happy to help in any way I can, as I am sure this is most distressing and I hate see a fellow pen enthusiast in such straights.

Good luck in what ever you decide to do, and please keep us informed.

Edited August 31, 2019 by Brianm_14

August 31, 2019

P. S.

Lacking other guidence (the manufacturer would be the one to consult), probably the safest storage would be in a passively ventilated, dry case, touching only archival-quality, acid-free soft paper or cotton material. Beware of any materials, even nearby, which offgas from adhesives, construction elements, or coloring materials. It doesn't mean anything necessarily all that expensive for storage. Just be careful. This appears to have been a subtle insult to a beautiful pen.

A profressional library or art materials supply house should be able to advise you on a suitable range of materials and make them available. I've purchased simillar materials for old book repair, but can't recall the name roffhand. A local university library would be able to supply one or more names of firms; contact the rare books collections. Again the costs were reasonable. Dark storage is likely advisable as well to avoid any possible photochemical reactions which might further "fix" the stain and make it still harder to remove.

September 1, 2019

Hi, Brianm_14. Thank you for your kind and detailed posts. Yes, the stain does have the character of dye having seeped into the surface of the pen. I have not done anything to address the staining, other than storing the pen in its original container.

But yes this has brought up the issue of proper storage for pens. I agree using archival materials and conditions akin to art or book storage applies. I also have come to realize that one cannot assume that pen cases are built with any of these archival requirements in mind. Offhand I do not know any pen case that is advertised as such. I am thinking these cases are probably okay transporting pens here and there for the day or so, but they probably should not be used for long-term storage. I have not done an exhaustive search on this topic, but I get the sense I am coming against a current limit of how we think about our pens.

Anyhow I will contact Lamy to get some help, and keep you posted. Thank you again.

Edited September 1, 2019 by stylophilly

September 5, 2019

I had similar (though less noticeable) stains on the first Dialog 3 Piano White I bought. In my case it seemed that the black elastic loop that holds the pen in its shipping box had transferred some colour to the body of the pen. I returned it to the retailer who sold it to me for a full refund, and bought another one that didn't have the issue.

Barely visible in natural light:

A bit more apparent in low light:

Same photo with the contrast cranked up:

I think the lesson we're all learning here is that this Piano White finish is very susceptible to colour transfer.

August 9, 2020

@sentience I'm sorry for this terribly belated response. Yes, you're right, the Piano White finish looks to be very susceptible to color transfer--and wow, even from their own packaging!

BUT, I'm happy to report that Lamy Repair USA headed by Bob Nurin out of Tucson, AZ was able to remove the stains for me! I don't know what he used to clean the stains, but it sure sounded like a lot of elbow grease on his part was expended to get the stains removed. So good news is that it is indeed possible to get these stains out!!!!

With the stains on my pen out, Bob Nurin recommended that I shouldn't store the pen in a pen case for any prolonged length of time. If it's not to be used for a long time, he recommended storing it instead in an acrylic Lamy branded pen case that the pen came back in. Better yet, he recommended that I should just use the pen more often. He jovially compared owning an expensive Lamy to owning an expensive car or watch or what-have-you. He opined that the more expensive something is, the more it needs you. So as he put it, "Your pen needs you. So use it." So I do now everyday! It gets used, held, inspected, and admired. And out of an abundance of caution, when I store the pen overnight on my pen tray (I have a vintage Sheaffer branded tray) I do so with the pen wrapped in glassine paper, the same stuff that museum conservationists use to line or store documents for preservation.

Edited August 9, 2020 by stylophilly